Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Mr. Beatty, for appearing before the committee. I would also like to thank you for your work as president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, but obviously my questions are addressed to you as the drafter of this legislation.
I would like to take you back to February 23, 1988, when you stated before the legislative committee the following: “under the Bill, the grounds for declaring an emergency will be subject to comprehensive parliamentary scrutiny.”
I assume you're referring there to the vote, which did take place in the House of Commons.
You continued by saying:
The CCLA has raised the very important question of whether this is enough. Whether, should there be any doubt or uncertainty about the government's justification for declaring an emergency, the decision should be subjected to independent review outside the arena of politics. The natural place to seek such further objective review and confirmation would be in the judicial system.
I take this to mean that should there be a question about the government's justification for invoking the Emergencies Act in this particular case, this particular year, the judicial system remains the appropriate forum for such a debate and decision.
Do you agree with that, Mr. Beatty?